The female anchor turned into the dean of an ancient academy

Chapter 262: Night Visit to the Shangshu's Private Residence

Xiaozhi's eyes rolled as she described the situation vividly: "The palace maid arrived and arrogantly asked, 'Is Lord Cen here?' Her tone was as if you, the dean, were some heinous criminal. I was a little upset at the time, but I still respectfully invited her in."

"And then?" Cen Jiexiao encouraged Xiaozhi to continue.

"Then she began to look around, sometimes at the calligraphy and paintings on the wall, and sometimes touching the decorations on the table, as if she was checking something. Finally, she slowly opened her mouth and said that she came to visit the dean on the orders of the Empress Dowager. She also said that if there was anything she needed help with, she could just ask. She also said that the dean was also making contributions to the Great Zhou." Xiaozhi curled her lips when she said this, and her tone was full of disdain.

"Visiting? I think it's more like surveillance." Cen Jiexiao sneered, already having a guess in her mind.

"That's right, Miss. On the surface, the palace maid is asking about your well-being, but in fact, she is always asking about your daily life, what you like to eat, what kind of perfume you use, and even what material your underwear is made of!" Xiaozhi echoed.

"Oh my god, is she so gossipy? She even asked about my measurements? What else did she ask?" Cen Jiexiao asked. She wanted to know what Empress Dowager Li wanted to know about her.

"She also asked what books the young lady had been reading recently, who she had met, and whether she had any unusual behavior... In short, she asked about every detail!" Xiaozhi counted on his fingers, his tone becoming more and more excited.

"It seems that Empress Dowager Li is really impatient and can't hold back so quickly." Cen Jiexiao sneered in her heart. This Empress Dowager Li really can't wait to control her every move.

"Miss, what do you think the Empress Dowager means?" Xiaozhi asked in confusion.

"She is testing me to see if I have any ulterior motives." Cen Jiexiao explained.

"But that's fine. Otherwise, how could she fall into the trap? Wouldn't the Jinxiu Yantang be in vain?"

"Miss, what are you going to do?" Xiaozhi asked curiously.

"Xiaozhi, you have done a great job recently. The management of Jinxiu Yantang will be handed over to you. Please tell me immediately if there are any new discoveries. I may have to go on a long trip." Cen Jiexiao looked at Xiaozhi with appreciation.

"Don't worry, miss, I'll take care of it!" Xiaozhi promised, patting his chest.

Cen Jiexiao called Xiaoman and Ye Qingwu over, her eyes sharp. "Xiaoman, Ye Qingwu, the two of you quickly go to the Qiming Group and inform the members of the group about this. Tell them that I need two experts who are proficient in tracking and disguise."

Xiaoman and Ye Qingwu took the order and left. Not long after, they brought back two members of the Qiming team wearing night clothes, codenamed "Shadow" and "Mei".

"Ying and Mei greet the teacher." The two knelt on one knee and saluted with fists clasped.

Cen Jiexiao nodded and said, "Get up. I need you to follow the nanny who left Jinxiu Yantang. Remember, be very careful and don't alert the enemy."

"Don't worry, teacher. We will definitely live up to our mission." Ying and Mei responded in unison.

"Xiaoman, Ye Qingwu, the two of you should also disguise yourself and follow Ying and Mei secretly to provide support." Cen Jiexiao added.

"Yes, teacher!" The four of them responded in unison.

Ying and Mei were nimble and quietly followed Mammy away. Xiaoman and Ye Qingwu, on the other hand, pretended to be a pair of peddlers, one carrying a basket filled with rouge and powder, the other shaking a rattle. They seemed to be wandering the streets nonchalantly, but in fact they were secretly observing the situation around them.

Mammy turned left and right, choosing to navigate narrow alleyways with few people, seemingly intent on avoiding the crowds. Ying and Mei followed closely behind, maintaining a safe distance from Mammy thanks to their superior agility and tracking skills.

Xiaoman and Ye Qingwu followed from a distance, shouting from time to time to attract the attention of passers-by and conceal their true identities.

Finally, the nanny came to a seemingly ordinary house in Linkang Prefecture and knocked on the door gently.

Ying and Mei hid in the dark, carefully observing the situation in the house, while Xiaoman and Ye Qingwu pretended to pass by and took note of the general appearance of the house.

After the nanny entered the house, Ying and Mei quickly returned and reported the situation to Sister Cen Xiao.

"Teacher, the nanny entered a secret house. We didn't dare to get close to her rashly. We just observed from the outside and found nothing unusual." Ying Bing reported.

"Have you found out the identity of the owner of the mansion?" asked Cen Jiexiao.

"I am incompetent and failed to find out." Ying lowered his head in shame.

At this time, Xiaoman and Ye Qingwu also came back and told Cen Jiexiao what they had observed.

"Miss, the house looks ordinary, but the guards at the door are very strict, and we also saw several suspicious people coming in and out. I'm afraid that house is not simple." Xiaoman said.

Cen Jiexiao pondered for a moment and said, "It seems that we need to further investigate the truth. Xiaoman and Ye Qingwu, the two of you should go back and make sure to find out the details of that house."

"Yes, teacher!" Xiaoman and Ye Qingwu took the order and left again. This time, they disguised themselves as a pair of performing brothers and sisters, and approached the house under the cover of performing.

After some inquiries, they finally learned that the house was actually the private residence of the Minister of Revenue, a close confidant of Empress Dowager Li.

The two did not dare to act rashly and immediately returned to the academy to report the situation to Cen Jiexiao.

"Minister of Revenue..." Cen Jiexiao pondered for a moment. It seemed that Empress Dowager Li's power had penetrated into every corner of the court. The situation was more complicated than she had imagined.

In order to further find out the truth, Cen Jiexiao sent Xiaoman and Ye Qingwu to sneak into the Minister of Revenue's mansion to find out.

Night fell, the deep blue sky dotted with stars, and a crescent moon radiated a soft glow. The Minister of Revenue's residence was shrouded in silence, broken only by the occasional chirping of insects. Xiaoman and Ye Qingwu, dressed in black and veiled, slipped into the mansion like ghosts in the dark night.

With nimble agility, they scaled the high walls, landing silently. Their coordination was unwavering, a glance, a gesture, a tacit understanding. Like night owls, they darted across the rooftops, alerting no guards. The patrolling guards came and went, oblivious to their presence.

Xiaoman and Ye Qingwu quickly found the room where Madam was. They lay on the roof, gently lifted a tile, and observed the situation in the room through the gap.

Inside the room, the nanny sat upright, talking to the Minister of Revenue. Her voice was shrill and piercing, like the cry of a night owl, making people feel uncomfortable.

"The Empress Dowager said that we must find out Cen Jiexiao's background as soon as possible! Especially those weird things she developed, we must understand them clearly! After all, the things that will be used on the Empress Dowager in the future cannot be wrong at all!" The nanny said sharply.